Here’s an odd factoid: Portugal, the European Union’s sleepiest western member, was the world’s first and longest lived global empire, in possession of colonies on opposite ends of the earth from 1415 to 1999. While to most of us today this is little more than an improbable historical curiosity (historical ignorance being one of the more popular globe-spanning trends these days), for countless postcolonial Portuguese communities scattered around the world, it’s a fact borne out by the fabric of daily life. 

Commencing Friday 23, the Lusofonia Festival 2009 brings together the myriad Portuguese-speaking communities now residing in Macau – peoples whose origins include Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Goa, Daman and Diu, Guinea-Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé e Príncipe and East Timor – in celebration of their common but unique cultural heritages. Throughout the Taipa Houses-Museum and Carmo Zone, ten booths representing these various far flung enclaves display customary handicrafts, textiles, and traditional and contemporary ethnic music. Street snacks and drinks from various locales are also on sale, while photo and video exhibitions offer enriching scenes and exposés from the boroughs of the host communities.    

Over the course of the weekend numerous local and overseas Portuguese-speaking artists take the Amphitheatre stage, delivering flamboyant musical and dance performances; and a programme of traditional Portuguese games, table-football competitions, and a seven-a-side soccer tournament carries through the afternoons. Children can enjoy bouncing around on a giant inflated playground and cruising through the bends of the Guia Circuit in a car-racing simulator – both installed in the centre square. It’s a weekend of all-Portuguese family fun, hitting you and yours in all five senses. 

For further information, see www.iacm.gov.mo or call the Civic Service Hotline at 2833 7676.